Make yourself heard

There is no compromise on this issue.  It is not one to sit back as we hope our party of choice positions itself.  It isnt something to turn away from because we are too busy.  It concerns us all.

  
Via Another Point of View,  Via Thwap's place: 

    Pursuant to the goal of bringing accountability and the rule of law to Canada, and starting the process of getting the harpercons into the prison cells they're inevitably going to be thrown into, Alison at Creekside   has a link to an online petition for a public inquiry into torture.  

    Please sign it and send it.

So does that mean there’s nothing more Mexican than the B.C. fruit industry?

Mini MP Lunn attempts to justify hiring an American company to build the Canadian Olympic pavilion in downtown Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games by saying that the workers will be mostly Canadian. 

"The Canadian pavilion is being built by a company that operates in a number of Canadian cities, by Canadian workers. And if you have Canadian workers building, there's nothing more Canadian than that," Lunn said.

By that logic, the B.C. fruit industry in Mexican.

To cope with a continuing shortage in apple and cherry pickers, B.C. fruit growers are expecting to hire about 50 per cent more temporary foreign workers than they did last year.  And in an attempt to diversify this expanding pool, they are reaching beyond Mexico to find similar workers from the Caribbean.

Mike Wallace of the Western Agriculture Labour Initiative (WALI) said that while a contract with workers from Mexico is going into its fifth year, a new one with the Commonwealth of Carribean Islands was only hammered out at the end of July 2007.       

Nice.  To show off to the world what wonderful, capable hosts we are, the Canadian pavilion will be built by a US company.  Of course the Steve government is claiming it went by the book, took proper measures, blah, blah, blah.

Right.

But federal Liberals have criticized the move, saying the bidding was only open for two weeks and the project had an extremely tight timeline, which discouraged Canadian companies from bidding.  Liberal MP Joyce Murray questioned why the government rolled out the contract on such a tight timeline.  "Given four years to prepare for Canada's pavilion at Canada's games, hosted in Canada, why did they wait until November to even put the contract out for bid?" she said.

Ordinary Canadians don’t care about the arts, so I guess its fine that the artistic design of Canada’s pavillion be done by another country.

They can tell us who we are, while they’re at it.

Raitt Award: Keddy and Vellacott

This month's winners of the Raitt Award are:

(Emphasis mine throughout)

Gerald Keddy

...Monday, Mr. Keddy told The Chronicle Herald that jobless Nova Scotians don’t want to do seasonal farm work.  "Nova Scotians won’t do it — all those no-good bastards sitting on the sidewalk in Halifax that can’t get work," said Mr. Keddy."


Maurice Vellacott

(Vellacott) says pro-life feminists view abortion as "part of a male agenda to have women more sexually available,"

Vellacott, who was not available for further comment Monday, said in the release "a growing body of research reveals significant health problems caused by abortion," including breast cancer, cervical injury, uterine perforations, hemorrhaging and infections. The release does not include statistics from research studies.

Monster of the week

Monster of the week is Steve Harper for his involvement, enabling of, and promotion of torture, as well as his attempts at covering it up.

Monster of the Week

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office used a “6,000-mile screwdriver” to oversee the denial of reports of Afghan detainee abuse when the scandal first erupted in 2007, according to a former senior NATO public affairs official who was then based in Kabul.

The former official, speaking on condition his name not be used, told the Toronto Star that Harper’s office in Ottawa “scripted and fed” the precise wording NATO officials in Kabul used to repudiate allegations of abuse “at a time when it was privately and generally acknowledged in our office that the chances of good treatment at the hands of Afghan security forces were almost zero.”

“It was highly unusual. I was told this was the titanic issue for Prime Minister Harper and that every single statement that went out needed to be cleared by him personally,” said the former official, who is not Canadian. (emphasis mine)

OK, so one anonymous source said that.  However, Harper is a micro-manager, terrified of any bad press, and would have been informed by those whose position it is to inform him of sensitive issues.  Can anyone doubt that the torture of detainees handed over by our troops is sensitive?

His own security adviser, Margaret Bloodworth knew.

David Mulroney, former deputy minister of the federal government's Afghan Task Force knew.

Rick Hillier, former Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Forces knew.  He denies having been told, but his conflicting testimony proves this is not the case.

Jill Sinclair, former assistant secretary to the cabinet for foreign and defence policy knew.

Colleen Swords, former assistant deputy minister in the international security branch of Foreign Affairs knew.

David Sproule, former ambassador to Afghanistan in 2006 and part of 2007 knew.

Arif Lalani, former ambassador to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2008 knew and censored Colvin's reports from Afghanistan.

Michel Gauthier, retired lieutenant-general who was the former commander of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command knew.

Oh, and numerous journalist, the Red Cross, Amnesty International (among other bodies of investigation) knew.

And lets not forget the many Canadians who wrote to the government, wrote letters to the editor, put up posts on the Net - they at least figured there was something to the disturbing allegations.

But somehow, Stevo claims he wasn’t informed.  Never bothered looking into it.  Too busy doing a photo op.  With a lacrosse team.  A short walk away.

In addition to our own Prop Minister enabling torture, I give special mention to the following slime minions:

Slime Minions

Rick Hillier, for his involvement, dishonest testimony, and for using the troops. 

Peter MacKay for his dishonest testimony and for using the troops. 

Also for dishonesty and/or using the troops:

Van Loan, Gallant, and John Baird.

Special mention as well of all Conservative MPs and Senators for not saying a goddam thing about holding a public inquiry.  They should be screaming for one.  It is unrealistic to expect some, like Poilievre or Van Loan to suddenly develop a conscience, but where are all the rest?  The couple I did have some lingering respect for killed that bit.  This is not a case of keeping silent over some minor policy in order to do greater good by being re-elected.  This involves the violation of international rights, the undermining of the Geneva conventions, and the integrity of Canada.

The troops and torture

Nice to see Harper and ConScum hiding behind standing up for them.

I just about drove off the road when I heard retired general Hillier use the mindless support the troops argument to counter allegations made by Colvin in regards to the torture of Afghan detainees.

"and all were treated professionally, a great compliment and great credit to our Canadian soldiers and to their leadership, despite the emotion of grabbing somebody who had just shot your friend or had just blown up the vehicle in which the rest of your buddies were (driving)."

Hillier also noted that when Colvin was visiting Afghan prisons and other areas to prepare his diplomatic reports "he could not have done that without the work, the support and the protection of our soldiers."

The implication is clear: how dare anyone attack our brave soldiers and accuse them of torture?

No one has, but Hillier himself, and various conservatives who have made similar statements are creating that very link in the minds of people who are prone to base conclusions on emotional responses rather than fact.

Hillier and others who constantly parade the bravery and sacrifice of our troops to counter any criticism of government and DND actions do those very troops a grave disservice.

Not only do they imply that if torture occurred, the troops are involved directly since any allegations of torture are attacks on the troops, they put the troops at risk by making them liable through their cover-ups and insistence that no one must break their code of silence - including the troops.  Amir Attaran, law professor at the University of Ottawa explains:

What we do know, however, is that Canadian military personnel, and generally the military police, have transferred 40 or more people to the Afghan police, when the Afghan government itself concedes that torture is "routine" when in police custody.  If one of those detainees were tortured — and the odds are not low — it would be a very serious problem for the Canadian Forces for many reasons, including that aiding or abetting torture is a war crime.

That is a strong reason why the government must stop the current detainee transfer policy, because it risks to bring legal harm to young Canadian soldiers through no fault of their own.      

The Geneva conventions are very clear on torture.

But at a minimum, detainees of all kinds have the right not to be tortured and to be protected from "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment." The words I quote are from Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

Second, the Canadian Forces have said that no matter what status a detainee has — even "terrorists" — he or she will have the FULL protections of the Geneva Conventions, and not just the bare-bones protection of Article 3. Let me quote the Forces themselves on this: "It is Canadian Forces policy that all captured persons or detainees be treated to the standard required for PWs [prisoners of war], as this is the highest standard required under International Humanitarian Law."

In addition to the impact that turning a deaf ear to allegations of torture has on the troops, our hard won rights - often fought for and protected by those precious troops - are at risk, as is our credibility and international clout.

MacKay’s, Baird’s, Gallant’s, and Harper’s appeals to blind emotion in an attempt to discredit claims of torture and even make them sound justified confuse people into understanding not only the real issue - that torture is illegal and our own government may be involved, but that the international laws apply to all, regardless of how we feel about particular detainees or their actions.

"We are being asked to accept testimony from people who throw acid in the faces of schoolchildren and who blow up buses of civilians in their own country. I will not accept that testimony. I am surprised that he would." Peter MacKay, Nov. 19, 2009.

Even scumbags sometimes tell the truth.  All allegations of international crimes need to be investigated.  MacKay’s statement blatantly discounts the rights of some people to give testimony that will actually be reviewed based on the principle that they have been know to do horrible things.

He further clouds the issue with a blatant emotional grenade: acid in the faces of school children.  That implies they don’t deserve rights enshrined in the conventions. Yes, the acts are  appalling, and proper courts, with proper procedures hopefully will do their job and find those who have actually committed those horrendous acts guilty.  And those courts will sentence them harshly.

But if, in our justifiable anger toward terrorists, we deny not only confirmed guilty of international rights, but suspects as well, we are weakening an instrument set in place to protect all of us and meant to forge a fairer, more humane global community.

Canada does not own the Geneva conventions.  We cannot apply it when and how we choose, and we can’t alter it on our own.  The principle behind this measure is that countries can’t arbitrarily decide who deserves protection from torture.  Some Canadians may feel we are justified in not applying international protection to suspected terrorists because they violate our laws, but that opens the door for just about any country to torture whoever they want.  Falun Gong is illegal in China.  There are serious allegations that the Chinese government tortures practitioners, yet we denounce this torture - as we should - while the Chinese government doubtlessly feels it is justified in torturing a group of people they believe threaten their present system of government.

Which brings us to international credibility.  How can our own Harper go to China and lecture the Chinese on human rights and torture and expect to accomplish anything more than pompous posturing when he and his government have contempt for the equal application of the conventions?

Finally, the more we allow this blatant disregard for the Geneva conventions, the more citizens unfamiliar with them come to believe it is acceptable to do so, and we all suffer since human rights will have lost an important shield for protection.

Last word here goes to our troops: they are asked to go out and risk their lives for the freedom and rights of people everywhere, among other things.  It is unconscionable that the Harper government so callously uses our gratitude to them in order to hide acts that violate some of those very rights the soldiers are fighting for.

“Come on: we are better than that.”

The words of Amir Attaran, a law professor at the University of Ottawa, spoken on a call-in show in 2007.  The topic of the show was the allegations of torture of Afghan detainees, something Attaran had been trying to expose and put a stop to.

He has so far been unsuccessful, but since one need not have completely succeeded to qualify for the Beowulf Award, Attaran should share it with Colvin.

Beowulf Award

Amir Attaran

Go here for the transcript of the talk show.  Attaran, prompted by questions from callers, explains the Geneva conventions as they apply to Canada and torture as well as the impact of turning away from the allegations - the impact on our country and our soldiers.

Here’s a sample:

There has been a change in Canadian Forces' practice, though not in Canadian Forces' policy. The policy is still that all detained persons in Afghanistan — all of them, no exceptions — should receive the full Geneva Conventions protections of a prisoner of war.

That would include, obviously, not to be transferred to known torturers such as the Afghan National Police or the National Directorate of Security (i.e. the secret police).

The shame of it is that, by current practice, the Canadian Forces are transferring persons to those units, in full knowledge that they carry out torture, and this is the starkest possible violation of both the Geneva Conventions and the Canadian Forces' own policy.

The person who signed the agreement with Afghanistan stipulating those transfers is General Hillier himself. He should be asked why he has led the Forces into a situation where their own policy is being disregarded, and as the official responsible, the buck stops with him.

Another one bites the dust

And we are closer to the “hostile takeover of the apparatus of democratic government and an end to the rule of law."

Harper and his hyenas have removed yet another independent oversight agent.  He has become inconvenient, as has Peter Tinsley, the man in charge of the ongoing inquiry into the treatment of Afghan detainees.  His term will not be renewed next month.

Now Paul Kennedy joins the growing list of independent oversight agents Harper has axed.  Kennedy chaired  the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

Kennedy, whose last day on the job will be Dec. 31, reportedly would have accepted another term. He was interested in seeing through anticipated new legislation to bring in a civilian oversight agency for the RCMP.  Kennedy recently completed an investigation into the death of Robert Dziekanski at the Vancouver International Airport and has investigated in-custody deaths, Taser use and how Mounties investigate themselves.

We were warned of this steady, ruthless undermining of an independent public service years ago.

There has been a kind of coup d'état over the government  operations of Canada, U.S.A. and Mexico.

The first formal step towards the NAU was NAFTA...

The second formal step was the  integration and subjugation of Canada's military  into the  US military command under NORAD,  NORTHCOM, and the  Bi-National Planning Agreement...

The third formal step in the creation of the NAU was the implementation of the respective liberty-stripping anti-terrorist legislations, the Patriot Act in the USA and the Anti-terrorist Act in Canada...

The fourth formal step is the SPP, Security and Prosperity Partnership Agreement. That agreement is a "hostile takeover" of the Executive branch of government, a coup d'état over the government  operations of Canada, U.S.A. and Mexico.

The three branches of democratic governance are:

1, the legislative arm, i.e., the policy makers, the people we elect;

2, the judicial arm, i.e., judges who  interpret and apply the laws created by the policy makers; and

3, the executive arm, i.e., the civil service, the bureaucracy, who implement and run the policy and operations of government.

And how do we, the electorate, fit into this new world of the rich, powerful, and unaccountable?

We will be no more than one of their resources - worker/consumers to provide them with cheap labour and buy their dubious products so they can become even wealthier, more powerful, and more removed and detached from the majority of people and their needs.

Friday night ode to the greatest monster-god of all

The one and only, the terrifying, the great Cthulhu

The Call of Cthulhu




The Thing That Should Not Be

Presenting this week's winner of the Beowulf Award...

Beowulf Award

Richard Colvin 

If you don't know who Colvin is, suffer a moment of shame then look him up.  He is the type of person we make movies about, and he would be the hero.  He is the type of individual who works to keep our rights secure and has risked his own welfare to do so.

People all across the globe, regardless of political affiliations should thank this man and support him in his stance against those who break laws to suit their purposed, tromp on human rights for their own gain, and attempt to destroy good people in order to keep their terrible secrets.

 

The Bitch is Back

(stone cold sober, as a matter of fact)

I can bitch, I can bitch...and I plan to because I generally believe that silence implies consent.

I had to change the name and masthead because looking at the picture of our stately parliament buildings and seeing the words House and Senate robbed me of the ability to write.  I realized it was because they no longer represent what they should: responsible government for the people.  It felt like the real politiicans had wandered off, maybe to the Library or some forgotten hall to debate policy for those who elected them and had been replaced by nasty, loud, petty, oversized children.

But let the monstrous kids have the run of the house and you no longer have a home.

It'll take me a while to re-build, here since I thought I would never blog again, but having caught up on other work and settled personal matters, I realize that every voice matters.

Even bitchy ones.

(missed youze guyz)